The problem with aviation journalism is that, whilst most aspects of the industry are accessible to the public, the pilot in the cockpit most definitely is not.
It seems almost impossible for the true concerns of the airline pilot to be accurately voiced by the media. A doctor might publicly criticise the NHS and keep his job. Any pilot who spoke out would very rapidly face the censure of employers and quite possibly the CAA. Whenever an aviation issue reaches the press we regularly hear the voices of Moody, Granshaw and Learmount.
However, it is the pilot in the cockpit flying a full time tiring roster who really knows the issues affecting safety.
How often do you see a letter in the press from an airline Captain discussing safety concerns? Never. I would love to write an article for a broadsheet on the pressures in the cockpit. However, it would be far too risky for my family so I am effectively gagged.
The problem for the aviation journalist writing about cockpit issues is that he has to second guess what is really happening. I once had an accident investigator say to me that 'the hardest thing is to know what is in the mind of the pilot'. My experience of Fleet Managers is that, as soon as they wind down from the pressures of the cockpit and take on other roles, they become detached and unrealistic about the real issues of the coal face. Ever tried explaining a complex delay to a manager who doesn't want to hear facts?
David Learmount seems to me to try damn hard to get close to the truth but in so doing he is sometimes very wide of the mark. And herein lies the problem. It is highly frustrating for those who know what the real problems in the cockpit to hear them misrepresented - hence the angst on these pages.
I'll bet that David Learmount (thoroughly decent chap that he is) actually doesn't have the confidence of a single line captain.
In these contentious times who can blame either pilot or journalist for that?